Big Ten play is not yet in full swing, but there were some notable results from last week’s five conference matchups.
Statements were made by several Big Ten teams, leading to a few shakeups in this week’s rankings. Two of the top teams in the conference were idle, along with three others, but Week 4 was a step closer to determining potential contenders in 2025.
Here’s our Big Ten rankings entering Week 5:
18. UCLA (0-3)
Previous rank: 18
Last week: Idle
Up next: at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
The good news for the Bruins? They didn’t lose last week. Interim coach Tim Skipper has had extra time to prepare for this matchup against the Wildcats, which is UCLA’s most winnable game left on the schedule.
17. Northwestern (1-2)
Previous rank: 17
Last week: Idle
Up next: vs. UCLA, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
The Wildcats and Bruins both rank among the bottom six in the Big Ten in both total offense and defense.
16. Wisconsin (2-2)
Previous rank: 15
Last week: Lost to Maryland, 27-10
Up next: Idle
How long of a leash does Luke Fickell have in Madison? The Badgers were embarrassed at home against the Terrapins, falling behind 20-0 and never threatening a comeback. After going 12-13 his first two seasons at the helm, his team might struggle to get another win in 2025 with Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Indiana and Illinois still on the schedule.
15. Purdue (2-2)
Previous rank: 16
Last week: Lost to No. 24 Notre Dame, 56-30
Up next: Idle
The Boilermakers have taken strides offensively this season under first-year coach Barry Odom, but the defense remains a work in progress. They allowed 539 yards against the Irish and rank 16th in the Big Ten in total defense.
14. Rutgers (3-1)
Previous rank: 14
Last week: Lost to Iowa, 38-28
Up next: at Minnesota, noon Saturday
Losing a shootout to the Hawkeyes is never a good look. The Scarlet Knights allowed 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to suffer their first loss of the season. Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 330 yards for Rutgers and is quietly second in the conference in passing, but the defense hasn’t been much help in 2025.
13. Michigan State (3-1)
Previous rank: 10
Last week: Lost to No. 25 USC, 45-31
Up next: Idle
Having to travel to the West coast to play an 11 p.m. ET game is a brutal break for the Spartans, but it’s hard to imagine that their defense could have slowed down the Trojans no matter where or when the game was played. They couldn’t slow down USC on the ground (289 yards) or through the air (234 yards). MSU hung around and only trailed by seven entering the fourth quarter despite being outgained by nearly 200 yards.
12. Minnesota (2-1)
Previous rank: 12
Last week: Idle
Up next: vs. Rutgers
After scoring under 24 points in two of their first three games, the Gophers will look to jumpstart their offense coming off a bye. A matchup against a leaky Rutgers defense could be the recipe for success.
11. Maryland (4-0)
Previous rank: 13
Last week: Beat Wisconsin, 27-20
Up next: Idle
The Terrapins have been one of the biggest surprises in the conference this year and are coming off an impressive road victory as a double-digit underdog. Freshman quarterback Malik Washington threw for 265 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, while Maryland’s defense held Wisconsin to 296 yards.
10. Iowa (3-1)
Previous rank: 11
Last week: Beat Rutgers, 38-28
Up next: vs. No. 11 Indiana, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Iowa’s offense awakened in a big way last week and scored two touchdowns late for a conference win on the road. Quarterback Mark Gronkowski rushed for three scores, and although he didn’t throw for any, he was efficient and passed for 186 yards on just 12 completions. The defense allowed 400 yards though before facing the conference’s No. 1 offense this week.
9. Illinois (3-1)
Previous rank: 4
Last week: Lost to No. 19 Indiana, 63-10
Up next: vs. No. 21 USC, noon Saturday
How many people saw that coming? In what was expected to be the marquee matchup of the week, the Illini were pummeled by the Hoosiers in every facet. Outside of a Luke Altmeyer 59-yard touchdown pass to Collin Dixon in first quarter, Illinois couldn’t get into any rhythm offensively. Special teams also were a disaster, while its defense had no answer for the high-flying Hoosiers. They don’t have much time to lick their wounds with another ranked matchup this week.
8. Nebraska (3-0)
Previous rank: 6
Last week: Lost to No. 21 Michigan, 30-27
Up next: Idle
The Cornhuskers have now lost 28 straight against ranked teams. Dylan Raiola threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns despite getting little protection up front. He was sacked seven times.
7. Washington (3-0)
Previous rank: 9
Last week: Beat Washington State, 59-24
Up next: vs. No. 1 Ohio State, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
The Huskies’ offense keeps humming along and now leads the conference in points per game (55.7). Desmond Williams Jr. carved up the Cougars’ defense with his arm (298 yards, four touchdowns) and his legs (88 yards, one touchdown) on Saturday. Can they keep it going against the stingy Buckeyes?
6. Michigan (3-1)
Previous rank: 7
Last week: Beat Nebraska 30-27
Up next: Idle
It wasn’t a flawless performance for the Wolverines, who allowed a touchdown on a Hail Mary and passed for just 105 yards. However, they dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball to leave Lincoln with a victory. Their schedule is favorable until the regular season finale against Ohio State, beginning with a home matchup against the reeling Badgers coming out of the bye.
5. USC (4-0)
Previous rank: 5
Last week: Beat Michigan State, 45-31
Up next: at No. 23 Illinois
The Trojans had no trouble moving the ball against the Spartans’ defense by using a balanced offensive attack. They totaled 523 yards and received another strong performance from quarterback Jayden Maiava, who completed 20 of 26 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns while adding another two scores on the ground.
4. Indiana (4-0)
Previous rank: 8
Last week: Beat No. 9 Illinois, 63-10
Up next: at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
The Hoosiers showed they aren’t a fluke and have a legitimate shot at getting back to the playoff. Beating Indiana State 73-0 the previous week was impressive, but to deliver a beatdown Saturday against a well-coached Illinois team was stunning. Indiana is now second in the country in total offense, with Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza emerging as a true Heisman candidate. He has thrown 14 touchdowns and no interceptions in 2025.
3. Penn State (3-0)
Previous rank: 3
Last week: Idle
Up next: vs. No. 6 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
The third-ranked Nittany Lions open Big Ten play with a rematch of last year’s conference title game. Head coach James Franklin is 3-19 against top-10 teams, but his squad has a chance to turn heads in a primetime matchup.
2. Oregon (4-0)
Previous rank: 2
Last week: Beat Oregon State, 41-7
Up next: at No. 3 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
It was smooth sailing for the Ducks after being tied with the Beavers entering the second quarter last week. They outgained their in-state rival 585-147 and received another strong showing from quarterback Dante Moore. The former Detroit King five-star recruit passed for 305 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 53 yards on seven attempts.
1. Ohio State (3-0)
Previous rank: 1
Last week: Idle
Up next: at Washington, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
The Buckeyes hold onto the top spot for now, but the gap between the other top four teams is razor thin. They’ve had a week off, but traveling to the West Coast is a challenging task for teams in the eastern time zone.